Goober?
Google Is Developing Its Own Uber Competitor
121–130 of 294 posts
Re: Google Is Developing Its Own Uber Competitor
#122I'm glad that the article highlighted how valuable the mapping information is that Google collects. While Uber probably could still run its current operations without Google map data, there is a much smaller probability that they would be able to run a self-driving car service without a highly accurate mapping product. And to build a mapping product is really difficult and expensive. I was surprised when Google start…
Uber is already pretty much limited to major metropolitan areas, so maybe Uber would really only need map data in these consolidated areas. At least to start.
Re: Google Is Developing Its Own Uber Competitor
#123Earlier quoted context omitted.
Drivers have basically zero power here, so I'm guessing Uber would just update the driver side of the app to always report location. No need to add incentives when you can just make it mandatory with minimum pushback (from Uber's PoV). Assuming they don't already.
I assumed the parent comment meant user-provided data, not raw GPS data, since presumably the driver app is always reporting their location (how else would they know which drivers to dispatch?)
I'm not sure what user-provided data would even be beneficial? Stuff that's likely already collected encompasses where the user is picked up, dropped off, route taken, time of departure and arrival .etc
Re: Google Is Developing Its Own Uber Competitor
#124Earlier quoted context omitted.
You call the police if somebody rapes you. that isn't a customer service problem.
Are you a robot?
Re: Google Is Developing Its Own Uber Competitor
#125I'm glad that the article highlighted how valuable the mapping information is that Google collects. While Uber probably could still run its current operations without Google map data, there is a much smaller probability that they would be able to run a self-driving car service without a highly accurate mapping product. And to build a mapping product is really difficult and expensive. I was surprised when Google start…
For the US, the current TIGER data is pretty reasonable. They could get away with using that (especially as a starting point), or OpenStreeetMap.
Waze demonstrated how well a crowd sourcing effort can work.
It's also apparently possible for a small team to start doing sign recognition:
http://blog.mapillary.com/update/2015/01/27/traffic-signs.ht...
Re: Google Is Developing Its Own Uber Competitor
#126I'm glad that the article highlighted how valuable the mapping information is that Google collects. While Uber probably could still run its current operations without Google map data, there is a much smaller probability that they would be able to run a self-driving car service without a highly accurate mapping product. And to build a mapping product is really difficult and expensive. I was surprised when Google start…
I think the self driving car is a tougher problem to solve than the maps. If uber can buy self driving cars, they can make maps on a city by city basis. If you have a pile of money, you can get maps. If you have a pile of money, it's not really clear you can get an autonomous car. I'm the first to shout they're coming - but they aren't here yet.
And you have to get enough of those self driving cars for it to be effective. If uber is buying the cars then they cease to be a driver/car to passenger matching service and become a full on cab company, complete with the liability and maintenance costs that go with owning cars.
Re: Google Is Developing Its Own Uber Competitor
#127I'm glad that the article highlighted how valuable the mapping information is that Google collects. While Uber probably could still run its current operations without Google map data, there is a much smaller probability that they would be able to run a self-driving car service without a highly accurate mapping product. And to build a mapping product is really difficult and expensive. I was surprised when Google start…
Uber can simply license their maps from various third parties the same way every car company does today for their GPS.
Google has added some decent additions to Google Maps but really 95% of what they had they purchased. For example Whereis/Yellow Pages data here in Australia.
Re: Google Is Developing Its Own Uber Competitor
#128I'm glad that the article highlighted how valuable the mapping information is that Google collects. While Uber probably could still run its current operations without Google map data, there is a much smaller probability that they would be able to run a self-driving car service without a highly accurate mapping product. And to build a mapping product is really difficult and expensive. I was surprised when Google start…
I think the self driving car is a tougher problem to solve than the maps. If uber can buy self driving cars, they can make maps on a city by city basis. If you have a pile of money, you can get maps. If you have a pile of money, it's not really clear you can get an autonomous car. I'm the first to shout they're coming - but they aren't here yet.
Autonomous cars are here:
https://www.media.volvocars.com/global/en-gb/media/pressrele...
And you can find examples from almost every car company. They all have projects going back decades looking at autonomous technologies. Some you see today e.g. parallel park assist, crash avoidance, lane/stop sign detection etc.
Re: Google Is Developing Its Own Uber Competitor
#129Earlier quoted context omitted.
If Drummond got 0.1% Equity as a Director, it would've been worth $3.4M the day he joined and if he wasn't diluted, it would be worth $40M today. (I realize that both of those assumptions are unlikely, but it's still interesting as an example)
It's pretty unlikely that Drummond got any Uber equity. He isn't an independent director, he's representing Google as an investor on Uber's board.
This is a good point -- I was thinking of our process to secure independent directors.
Re: Google Is Developing Its Own Uber Competitor
#130I'm glad that the article highlighted how valuable the mapping information is that Google collects. While Uber probably could still run its current operations without Google map data, there is a much smaller probability that they would be able to run a self-driving car service without a highly accurate mapping product. And to build a mapping product is really difficult and expensive. I was surprised when Google start…
For the US, the current TIGER data is pretty reasonable. They could get away with using that (especially as a starting point), or OpenStreeetMap. Waze demonstrated how well a crowd sourcing effort can work. It's also apparently possible for a small team to start doing sign recognition: http://blog.mapillary.com/update/2015/01/27/traffic-signs.ht...
The TIGER data is a starting point. But it's outdated the day it is complete, and rapidly diverges. For many purposes that's perfectly fine, but as stated above, you need someone driving the street. Even something as major as postcodes changes multiple times in between TIGER updates, and tons of streets are changed or added or removed.
The TIGER dataset is fantastic, and certainly helps levelling the playing field by giving people somewhere to start from, but it's the cheap 80%, except in this case the last 20% doesn't take the other 80% of the time, but more like 800%.